Monday, February 22, 2016

What is the significance of the title "The Thief and the Dogs" by Naguib Mahfouz?

The title of a novel is often of great symbolic importance, and this is especially true of this work. The title refers to the main character and the "dogs" that he feels are constantly chasing him throughout the novel. It is important to note that the title has a great deal of literal meaning as well.


The thief in the title is, of course, the main character, Said. He has recently been released from jail for stealing as the novel starts, so he is literally a thief. He is also a thief in a figurative sense, as he sets out to "steal" the lives of those he believes wronged him. 


The "dogs" in the title refer to the people Said wants vengeance on: Rauf; his former mentor, Nabawiyya; his ex-wife; and Illish, his former best friend who betrayed him by marrying his wife. The main plot of the novel revolves around Said's attempts to punish these people.

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